Time-recording machine



June 17, 1930. R M, BARBOUR ET AL 1,763,740

'rmr: RECORDING MACHINE Filed Oct, 31, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS KOLLA/VD M BAR/50w? flax/RYE K N/PE,

A TTORNE Y.

June 17 1930. BARBQUR ET AL 1,763,740

TIME RECORDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 51, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 WK 5 -4a a j L 5/ @D6 14 -117 29 47 I INVENTORS 22 --52 KoLLA/vp M .BARBOUR. 25 if HENRY H K/v/PE, "20 BY 24 E Q W 2% ATTORNEY.

June 17, 1930.

R. M. BARBOUR ET AL TIME RECORDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 31, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 R01. LAND M BARBOUR HENRY H. KAI/PE,

' A TTORNE Y.

June 17, 1930. R. M. BARBOUR ET TIME RECORDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 31, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 figi. azaama mamaa fl AUG. ((-2? 12 1O Al)G.Z7-Z7-11 55 INVENTORS ROLLAND M. BAR BOUR HENRY H. KN/PE, BY

' ATTORNEY.

Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOLLAND M. BARBOUR AN D HENRY H. KNIFE, F LAWRENCEVILLE, ILLINOIS TIME-RECORDING MACHINE Application filed October 31, 1927. Serial No. 229,938.

Our invention relates to improvements in time recording mechanisms.

An important object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the above mentioned character which is well adapted for use in connection with telephone systems, for re cording the length of time of messages.

Further objects of the invention are to improve and greatly simplify the construction of apparatus of this class, to provide means i for the positive reading of the time, whereby the elapsed time between two periods can be readily and quickly computed, with the minimum chance for error.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a time recording apparatus embodying our invention,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same,

55 Figure 3 is a plan view of the apparatus with the top plate removed,

Figure 4 is a lon itudinal vertical section taken on line 4-4 0 Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a transverse sect-ion taken on line 55 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the stamping wheels or dials,

, Figure 7 is a front end elevation of the machine,

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the hour stamping wheel showing the operating means therefor,

Figure 9 is a similar view of the minute stamping wheel,

Figure 10 is a side elevation of one of the date stamping wheels, showing holding means therefor,

Figure 11 is an edge elevation of the date stamping wheels,

' Figure 12 is a diagramn'iatic view of the solenoids and circuits,

Figure 12 is a side elevation of the stationary contacts and circuit,

Figure 13 is a plan view of the card or ticket guide,

the toothed wheel 32.

Figure 14 is a similar view of the card or ticket,

Figure 15 is a side elevation of the hour stamping wheel, viewed from the opposite side of Figure 8,

Figure 16 is a similar view of the minute stamping wheel viewed from the opposite side of Figure 9,

Figure 17 is a diagramn'iatic view of the periphery of the minute stamping wheel, and,

Figure 18 is a similar view of the hour stamping wheel.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration, is shown a preferred embodi- 6i ment of our invention, the numeral 20 designates a casing, pre terably rectangular, and having a top 21, secured thereto by any suitable means.

Arranged within the casing 20, between the ends thereof, are vertical supports 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28. Arranged between the supports or plates 23 and 24 is a month printing wheel or dial 29, having type 30 formed thereon, for printing the names of the twelve months. The wheel 29 has a tubular hub 31, rigidly secured thereto, which is also rigidly secured to a manually operated toothed wheel 32. This tubular hub is journaled in an opening 33, formed in the support or plate 23. Arranged between the supports or plates 24 and 25 is a month date stamping wheel 34, provided upon its periphery with type 35, to print the day of the month. The month date printing wheel 34; is rigidly attached to a 35 tubular hub 36, which is journaled in the tubular hub 31. The tubular hub 36 has a manually operated toothed wheel 37 rigidly secured thereto, and arranged adjacent to Rotatable between the supports or partitions 25 and 26 is a year date printing wheel 38, provided upon its periph' cry with type 39, for printing the number of the year. The wheel 38 is rigidly carried by a tubular hub 40, rotatable within the tuas bular hub 36. having a manually operated toothed wheel 41. rigidly secured thereto, and arranged near the toothed wheel 37. The printing wheels and the toothed wheels project upwardly beyond the cover 21 through an opening t2, and it is obvious that these date wheels may be manually adjusted for printing the proper month, day and year, by the manual turning of the toothed wheels connected therewith. The tubular hub elO is rotatable upon a shaft %2, carried by the supports and Each of the date printing wheels is held against accidental rotation, during the printing operation, by means of a leaf-spring e3, carried by the adjacent stationary support, and having a rounded end to engage with teeth ll. formed upon the side or the printing wheel, as clearly illustrated in Figures and 11. Arranged between the supports or plates 27 and 28 is a minute print ing wheel and arranged between the supports 26 and 27 is an hour printing wheel 4G, and these wheels are independently rotatable upon a shaftlT, carried by the supports 26, 27 and 28. The minute printing wheel is provided upon its periphery with type running from 0, 1 to 59, inclusive, followed by 00, as clearly illustrated in Figure 17. The hour printing wheel do is provided upon its periphery with numerals 1 to 11. inclusive, preceded by the letter A, signifying forenoon, and after the character All there is 12N, designating noon, and also with the numerals 1 to 11, inclusive, preceded by the letter P, signifying afternoon and after the character P11, there is a designation, 12M, designating midnight. The wheels to and to extend be yond the top 21 through the opening 12. As clearly shown in Figure 16, the n'iinutc printing wheel to is provided with a hub portion 418, one end of which is equipped with teeth lt); there being sixty of these teeth and these teeth are engaged by a spring-pressed dog 50. The purpose of this arrangement is to prevent the accidental rotation of the wheel particularly during the printing operation. The hour wheel i6 is provided with a hub portion 51, provided on one end with a set of teeth 52, there being twent .'-tour, Figure 15, and these teeth are engaged by a spring-pressed dog 53. The purpose of this dog and associated elements is to prevent the accidental rotation of the wheel it, particularly during the stamping operation.

The minute wheel to is provided upon the opposite end of its hub with ratchet teeth cl, there being sixty of these teeth. The teeth 5% are engaged by a pawl 55, pivoted upon a lever 56 which is pivotally supported at The pawl is held in engagement with the ratchet wheel 54 by a spring 58. The lever 56 has pivotal connection with a link 59; pivotally c ninectedwith the core 60 of a solenoid G1. The eiiective movement of the lever 56. due to the action of the solenoid 61, is lim ited by a stationary stop 62, and the stop so arranged that the lever 56 will advance the minute wheel "for the distance oi? one of the teeth o-l. upon each. stroke of the core 60; A cable the like is attached to a re ractile coil spring 64: and is connected with the lever 56 and returns the lever 56 to the starting position. The hour printing wheel 46 has its hub 51 provided at one end with ratchet teeth S5, there being twenty-four of these ratchc i teeth, and these ratchet teeth are engaged by a pawl 66, urged upwardly toward the ratchet teeth (55 by aspring 67. This spring is attached to a lever 68, to which the pawl (56 is pivoted, at 69. The lever 68 is pivotally su 'iported at its upper end, as shown at 70. The lever (38 has pivotal connection with a link 71, connected with the core 72 of a solenoid T3. The etlective stroke of the lever (58, due to the action of the solenoid is limited by a stationary stop 74, and the arrangement is such that the lever 68 will advance the hour wheel elti 1 01 the distance of one tooth (35, upon each stroke of the core 72. A cable T5 or the like, is attached to-t he lower end of the lever (38; and is connected to a retractile coil spring T6, which serves to return the lever (38 to the. starting posit-ion.

One end of the solenoid winding 61 may be grounded at 77, while its opposite end is connected with a wire 78, in electrical connection with an annular set of stationarycontacts 7!), having insulating blocks SO'between them. There are sixty of the contacts '79 and they are arranged to be engaged by the minute hand 81 of a clock. One end of the winding of the solenoid 7;}- may be connecte .l' with the ground 77, while its opposite end is connected with a wire 83 in electrical connection with an annular set of stationary contacts 8%, having insulating material 85 between them. This connection is effected in asimilar way to the connection of the stationary contacts in Figure 12. There are twenty-tour of the contacts 8% and they are adapted to be engaged by the hour hand Shot the clock-1 The minute hand 81 and the hour hand 86, are carried by an insulated support, but maybe in electrical connection. They areelectrically connected with a wire 87, having connection with a source of current 88, which is grounded at 88. It is thus seen that as the minute. hand 81 travels in contact with each stationary contact 79, the core 60 of the solenoid. 61 moved inwardly, and the minute wheel 46 advanced one step. This circuit remains closed until the minute hand travels oil of the contact 7!) onto the insulation S0.- at which time the circuit is broken. In a similar mann' r, when he hour hand 86 engages each contact 84. a circuit is closed to energize the solenoid 73 and the core 72 is drawn inwardly and the hour wheel 46 advanced a step. the circuit being broken when the hour hand 86 travels otl ot' the contact 8%.

The numerals 89 and 90 designate shafts, suitably held within the casiiigid; upon'oppm site sides of the printing wheels, and these shafts carry spools 91 and 92, in turn carrying a ribbon 93, which passes through the opening 42 and over the periphery of the printing wheels. Means are provided to rotate these spools in unison, to feed the ribbon in either direction, and this means includes a horizontal rock shaft 94, extending longitudinally within the casing 20, and journaled in bearings 95. This rock shaft is provided with radial extensions or cranks 96, carrying spring-pressed dogs 97, adapted to alternately engage ratchet wheels 98 and 99 attached to the spools for turning them. The rock shaft is longitudinally shiftable and is adapted to be held in either longitudinally adjusted position by a spring catch 100, engaging in notches 101 and 102. By shifting the rock shaft longitudinally, the pawls will alternately engage either of the ratchet wheels 98 or 99. When the rock-shaft is turned in a direction to swing the cranks 96 downwardly, the active pawl 97 will trip over the teeth of its engaging ratchet wheel, and when the crank 96 swings upwardly, upon the return movement of the rock-shaft, the ratchet wheel will be advanced. The rockshaft 94 is provided at one end with an operating crank or arm 103, having an enlarged head 104. The crank 103 is forced upwardly by a suitably stiff sleeve spring 105.

Rigidly mounted upon the forward end of the casing 20 is a knuckle 106, to which is pivoted a stamping lever 107, as shown at 108, and this stamping lever is urged upwardly by a spring 109. The lever 107 carries a depending pin 11.0, arranged above and engaging the flat head 104. At its free end, the lever 107 is provided with a stamping face or jaw 111, to engage with a card or ticket to be printed. The lever may be equipped with a suitable knob 112, as shown. Mounted upon the top 21 of the casing 20, adjacent to the opening 42 is a ticket or card shifting element113, having a cut out portion 114 for receiving the ticket. This shifting element is provided with depending legs 115, operating through longitudinal slots 116 and have pivotal connection with bell crank levers 117, mounted to swing about pivots 118. The upper arms of these bell crank levers are urged forwardly or to the right by springs 119. The horizontal arms of these bell crank levers have pivotal connection with vertical reciprocatory rods 120, operating through openings formed in the top 21, and connected with a transverse bar 121. The bar 121, is normally held raised and the shifting element 113 is normally in the forward position.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The date printing wheels 29, 34 and 38 are manually adjusted to print the roper month, day and year. They may be ad usted to print August 27, 1927. The clock works embodied in the clock continuously rotate the minute hand 81 and the hour hand 86, but the time printing wheels 45 and 46 are given an intermittent step by step turning movement, by virtue of the pawl and ratchet means, driven by the solenoids. Assuming that the device is being used to record the time of a message over a long distance telephone, then when the message begins, the operator inserts the ticket in the shifting element I13, and this brings the ticket over the opening 42. The stamping lever 107 is now depressed and the date and time is printed on the ticket, as indicated in Figure 14, which may be August 27, 192711:55. The ticket may remain in the shifting device or it may be removed therefrom, and at the end of the message the bar 121 is first depressed, and this will move the shifting device 113 rearwardly toward the operator, and hence advance the ticket. The bar 121 is now retained depressed until the lever 107 is stamped down upon the ticket whereby the second time reading is printed on the ticket, namely, August 27, 192712 :10. Particular attention is called to the fact that this arrangement brings the recording of the time at the end of the message above the recorded time at the commencement of the message, and hence the actual time occurring between the starting and completing of the message may be readily computed with the least liability to error.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention, herewith shown and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape,

size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of our invention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

- Having thus described our invention, we claim 1. In a time recording apparatus having a support and adjustable time printing means carried by the support, the combination of a ticket shifting device having a forward starting position with relation to the printing means, and means to shift the ticket shifting device rearwardly with respect to the printing means whereby the time recorded at the end of a period may be printed upon the ticket above the time recorded at the beginning of the period.

2. In a time recording apparatus, having a support, and adjustable time printing means carried by the support, the combination with a ticket shifting element mounted to slide upon the support over the printing means and normally occupying a forward position, and means to shift the ticket receiving element rearwardly with respect to the printing means, and spring means tending to hold the shifting means in a starting position whereby the ticket receiving element is held in the forward position.

3. In a time recording apparatus having a casing having a top provided with an opening.; and time printing means mounted within the casing and having afixed location with respectto the casing; and arranged adjacent to the opening in: thecasing, the combination with a: ticket receiving element siidahiy mounted upon the topof the casing and Eli'- ranged adjacent to said opening a recipvoca tor-y device extending a-bove the top" of the casing, and an operative connection between the reciprocatory device and the-ticket receiving element soconst ructed that when the reciprocatory device is depressed said ticket receiving element will: be" shifted rearwardl-y.

4. In a: time recording apparatus having a' casing having a topprovided with an opening, and time printing inea-ns inounted Within the: casing and having a fixed location with respect tothe casing: and arranged adjacent to the opening'in' the casing, the combination with aticket receiwing element slidabiy mounted upon the top of the casing and arranged adjacent to said' openinega reciprooatory device extending above the top of the casing, an operative connection betweenthe reciprocatory device and the ticket receiving element so constructed that when the reciprocatory device is depressed said ticket receiving element will be shiited rearwardly and spring means to-nomnaliy hold the operative connection in the starting position whereby the ticket receiving; element is n'or- 1111111 retained in theforwa'rd position.

In testimony whereof we aiiix our signailll eS;

ROLLAND M.- HARBOUR. HENRY IL KNIFE. 

